Many types of workers use flag markers for identifying the location of objects buried beneath the ground. For instance, surveyors, cable television workers, and utility company workers commonly use flag markers to locate wires, cables, and various other objects and structures in a variety of terrains. Regardless of the application, it is generally desirable to minimize the time and effort required for flag insertion, while maintaining adequate anchoring of the flag stem in the ground. Often, an insertion tool is required to implant the flags into the ground.
Historically, the use of cumbersome and heavy flag insert tools have contributed to the time and effort required to insert these markers in the ground. More recently, there has been a recognized need for a more lightweight portable marker flag insertion tool. One such tool is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,814 to Smith. As illustrated in FIG. 1, Smith discloses a multiple component flag insert tool including an inner rod, an outer rod, and a pair of collars. The inner rod has a V-shaped notch at one end. The collars are welded to the inner rod. The outer rod is slidably mounted between the collars. In operation, Smith's insertion tool requires the user to initially insert the flag stem through an aperture in the inner rod to form an L-shaped bend at the end of the stem. Subsequently, the flag stem is removed from the aperture and the horizontal length of the flag stem positioned on the ground beneath the V-shaped notch. Driving the flag stem into the ground requires the repeated raising and lowering of the outer rod to exert a pounding force against the lower collar.
Although Smith's insertion tool provides a number of advantages over those historically used, it leaves much room for improvement. In particular, the relatively large surface area,of the V-shaped insertion end of the tool provides an ineffective surface for penetrating the ground, resulting in the need for the repeated pounding force of the outer rod against the lower collar to drive the flag stem into the ground. In use, the tool requires a multi-step flag insertion method which adds to its inefficiency. Furthermore, the multi-component construction of the tool contributes to increased tool manufacturing time and cost.
For the foregoing reasons, a need exists for an improved portable flag insertion tool that provides a more effective and more efficient means for flag marker insertion. It would be desirable to provide such a tool having a minimal number of individual components such that the tool can be manufactured in a more time- and cost-effective manner.